Sir Alex Ferguson says Leicester City are capable
of winning the Premier League but that their
activity in the January market could be crucial.
Leicester returned to the top of the table at the
weekend with a 3-0 win over Swansea City and
currently sit two points clear of second-placed
Arsenal, with Manchester City and Manchester
United a further point behind.
They have been in fine form since April, when
former boss Nigel Pearson ended a long stint at
the foot of the division by winning seven of his
last nine league games in charge, and former
United boss Ferguson suggested they should now
be considered serious contenders for the title.
"What is the manager, Claudio Ranieri, saying to
the owners? Because if I were him I'd want an
investment in January because this is a big
opportunity," Ferguson said at the TechCrunch
Disrupt London event.
"They could win the league the way they are
playing at the moment and they have goals in
their team. That is not the owners' problem. The
problem for the owners is have they got the
money? I think they have.
"Do they trust the coach? The problem will always
lie with the coach because he has got to pick the
team. Adding more players to it, he has only
given himself a problem.
"At the moment, he can pick the same team
because he has a limited squad and is doing very
well, but if he wants to win the league, I think he
should add to it, and I think there may be a great
chance."
Ferguson first won the Premier League in the
1992-93 season, when Norwich City had led the
table at the start of April but then lost 3-1 to
United, who finished 10 points clear after winning
their final seven games.
"When we won the league for the first time,
Norwich led until the middle of March, the whole
season, but we beat them at their own ground
and won the league," he said.
"So, for a small club historically like Leicester City,
they have a challenge. How far can they go with
this present squad, can they last the whole
season?"
The Premier League has not been won by a club
other than United, Arsenal or Chelsea since
Blackburn Rovers -- funded by wealthy owner
Jack Walker -- finished a point clear of Ferguson's
side in 1994-95.
"I was listening to Peter Schmeichel last week and
what he was saying was fantastic, talking about
how people are underestimating Leicester City,"
Ferguson continued, referring to the former
United keeper, who is the father of Leicester No 1.
Kasper.
"This is a team with fantastic vitality, speed,
energy. Peter was saying at the moment Leicester
are the best team in the league, without a doubt,
but the question is: how long will it last? Have
they the resources to continue throughout the
season?"
Leicester's fine form has led to star players
including Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez being
linked with top clubs.
Having led Aberdeen to unprecedented success
in Europe in 1983, Ferguson acknowledges that
upsetting the odds can bring drawbacks.
"When Aberdeen won the European Cup Winners'
Cup, it was the greatest moment for Aberdeen in
their history and it was the worst moment too,
because five players left within a year," he said.
"Gordon Strachan went to Manchester United,
Mark McGhee went to Hamburg.
"Leicester may have a situation where some
players love being at Leicester City and don't
want to move and they will have some who do
want to move to Manchester United, or they want
to play for Liverpool or Real Madrid. It is natural,
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